July 31
Which Is the Greatest Commandment? by John W. Ritenbaugh
"Teacher, which is the great
commandment in the law? Jesus said to
him, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your mind. This
is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor
as yourself. On these two
commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:36-40 (See also Mark 12:28-31 and Luke 10:25-28)
Jesus Christ's response to the
Pharisee's question shows that He divided the Ten Commandments into two sections or tables. He covers the first four by
saying, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind.' This is the first and great commandment" (verses 37-38). This
supersedes all other commandments; none is greater. The second, covering the
last six, is similar to it. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself"
(verse 39).
God also arranged each section to
begin with the most important command.
He placed first the commandment, which, if kept, will ensure the
greatest benefit to our lives, both physically and spiritually.
On the other hand, if we break this
commandment, it will cause the most damage to our worship of God or to the
community by virtually ensuring that we will break others. In the first table
of the law, this commandment is, "You shall have no other gods before
Me" (See Exodus 20:2).
In the second, it is the fifth commandment: "Honor your father and your mother that your days may
be long upon the land which the LORD
your God is giving you" (See verse 12).
Just as the first commandment governs our relationship with
God, the fifth commandment is first
among those that govern our relationships with men. When we keep it or break
it, it affects those relationships.
Not only is it chief in this
section, it also acts as a bridge between the two tables of the law. When we
keep the fifth commandment properly, it leads us to revere and obey God
Himself.
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